The Mexican Migrant Labor Force in the United States: Most Essential and Most Vulnerable During the Pandemic

Abstract

The objective of this article is to analyze the critical situation experienced by Mexican migrants in the United States in crucial areas. These are, among others, labor and their access to medical services which, in the context of the Covid19 pandemic, places them in a scenario of extreme vulnerability and exclusion. The migrant community in the United States, despite the fact that during the pandemic they have been working in jobs considered essential, is the one with the lowest salary and the least medical coverage. This scenario is worse when it comes to undocumented migrants who, due to their immigration status, are excluded from any federal benefits granted during the COVID-19 health emergency. The content of this text makes all these exclusions visible in order to review some of the effects that the pandemic has had on the migratory experience of this population group.